Colonel’s Island Terminal at the USA’s port of Brunswick had its busiest month ever for ro-ro cargo during March 2024 handling 77,236 units, an increase of 21 percent over the same month of last year.
Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) president and ceo Griff Lynch said that the rise in volumes came from organic growth and new customers, “driving increases in both autos and high and heavy equipment”.
“Import and export trade has increased as auto makers expanded production and Colonel’s Island processors have captured additional market share in the South Atlantic region,” he said.
Among GPA’s March ro-ro volumes, 4,210 units were high and heavy cargoes. Fiscal Year 2024 machinery volumes now total 20,113, an increase of 6,887 units or 34 percent through the first nine months of the fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2024.
Colonel’s Island handled a record 52 vessels in March, up 11 vessels or 27 percent compared to March 2023. The port of Brunswick has handled 431 ro-ro vessels during the first three quarters of the fiscal year. Based on its monthly average, Colonel’s Island is on track to handle a record 572 ships by the end of June. The previous record was 534, set in 2015.
To better accommodate growing trade, GPA said it is increasing its infrastructure for processing autos and high and heavy equipment, including its USD262 million infrastructure programme that is nearing completion. Projects are expanding capacity by adding 122 acres (49 ha) of ro-ro storage and 640,000 sq ft (59,458 sq m) of new processing space.
GPA is also in the process of adding a fourth ro-ro berth to handle additional vessels. Currently in the engineering phase, the new berth will more efficiently accommodate vessels capable of carrying 7,000-plus vehicles.
